


When you say you love me...

by KamuNiNikko



Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Confessions of love, F/M, Lovers, Morning After, Naked Cuddling, alone time, beach cottage, post-sex, time is fuzzy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 06:07:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15164306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KamuNiNikko/pseuds/KamuNiNikko
Summary: When you say you love me, do you know how I love you? (inspired a bit by the Josh Groban song)Zack wakes up with Aerith by his side after an amazing first time together. Who knew three little words could almost cost him everything?A 'thank you' gift to mysticeyes2987.





	When you say you love me...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mysticeyes2987](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysticeyes2987/gifts).



> This was written by request for mysticeyes2987. I wanted to create a 'thank you' gift for kicking my butt into gear and making me start getting over my social anxiety and post more of my works online. I asked her what she wanted, and this was one of the two prompts she gave me. I am working on the other one still, but in the mean time I wanted to go ahead and share this with you. 
> 
> *non-beta'ed*
> 
> Enjoy~!

 

 

Dawn was always his favorite time of day. The world had yet to awaken and everything was quiet. The gentle lull of water sweeping against the shoreline floated in through the open balcony doors, ruffling the sheer curtains capturing the morning light. The cool salty air skimmed over his bare skin. Huh, guess they had forgotten to close the doors the night before in their rush to be together.  

 

It all felt like a dream. Grinning, Zach Fair rolled onto his side. Aerith was sleeping soundly beside him. Her soft hair was scattered in various directions across the pastel colored pillow behind her head. Her chest rose and fell with each steady breath accompanied by little sounds. He’d never heard someone snore so adorably before; it was endearing. Her pale skin was covered up only by the cream colored bed sheet that had slipped from her shoulders. Zack reached across the bed and pulled the sheet back up. Aerith would appreciate some modesty, and he didn’t want her to be freaked out when she awoke. He wanted the love of his life to be comfortable. 

 

Zach was completely captivated by this woman. He’d known by the end of their first conversation that there wasn’t anything he’d wouldn’t do to make Aerith Gainsborough his.Was it any surprise he had fallen for her just moments after conversing with her? Zach had wanted her in a way he had never wanted anyone else in his life. She was the one he had been waiting for. 

 

But the timing had been off, and things with Soldier hadn’t gone as well as he’d been hoping. Things were complicated, and really, he should have been focused on the mission. He should have been looking over plans and studying locations...Zack, however, was never one to follow the rules. The moment he could manage it, Zack “kidnapped” Aerith and took her to the beach, a place she’d always wanted to go but had never been. Her pure joy upon their arrival consumed him, and he knew that he’d finally done something right. 

 

He moved some of Aerith’s hair away from her face. His fingers trailed along her cheeks, caressing her jawline, descending down her neck before tracing the dip of her collar bone. Aerith was beautiful both inside and out; a rare quality for a woman to have. She was powerful, skilled, intelligent, with a heart that stretched so far and wide that Zack worried about how much it would cost her. Aerith was especially good with kids, and she often looked after children who were homeless or abandoned in Midgar. Zack had joked about adopting them all, and Aerith responded with a “That’s not the worst idea you’ve ever had.” 

 

Was he even ready to be a dad though? Zack’s brow furrowed as his fingertips brushed along herbare arm. They both were so young…Not to mention that he felt like he still had too much to do. There were a lot of hidden bases that needed to be eliminated, projects to be destroyed, people to save… there were just so many enemies that Zack didn’t want to put Aerith or any kind of child in the crosshairs. Yes, together they could provide a loving home for all of those kids who didn’t have anywhere to go. But how safe would it be if there was a target painted on his back? On their backs?

 

Zack watched as Aerith’s breathing change. Her eyelashes fluttered a few times before brilliant green stared back at him. 

 

“Good morning,” Aerith said softly.

 

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

 

“Best sleep I’ve ever had.” Her cheeks were a light pink as she looked away. 

 

Zack couldn’t keep the smile off of his face. “Oh really?” he teased, moving closer to her. “And why do you think that is?”

 

“Let’s see… I had really great dinner so that could be it.”

 

“Oh? Was the seafood really that good?” He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her neck. “Then remind me to feed you it more often.”

 

“The bed was soft, too,” Aerith giggled. “That has to factor in somehow.”

 

Zack continued to search for the spot that usually had her toes curling and responded to her absently, focused on the task at hand. “Uh-huh. And?”

 

“And?” Aerith’s breath caught. She tried to keep herself in control. “Well, the sound of the ocean was nice.”

 

“Keep going.” His encouragement was more a groan, egging her on. 

 

“I had some company that was rather…” She bit her bottom lip on a moan as she closed her eyes. “I don’t know if I can handle last night again.”

 

He chuckled. “Don’t worry baby. I’ve got you.” 

 

“Zack?” His name was a breathless plea against her tongue.

 

“Yes Aerith?”

 

“I love you.”

 

Zack paused, suddenly easing back. It was like the whole world  had come to an abrupt halt. He waited until her eyes opened again and met his before he spoke. “Aerith, I…” He was trying to find how he wanted to say he loved in her in return but couldn’t.

 

He knew he must have waited too long because everything in her body language quickly changed. She was closing herself off from him. “No, it’s okay Zack. I understand. You don’t need to say them back. I just wanted you to know how I felt in the moment and-”

 

He took her face in his hands. “Hang on Aerith, what are you talking about? Give me a chance to say something will you?”

 

“If your immediate response back isn’t ‘I love you’ then you don’t need to-”

 

He kissed her soundly, repeatedly, waiting until he felt the tension ease away from her body before he tried again. “Now listen to me before you go and get yourself all worked up,” he scolded. Zack took a deep breath, doing his best to be careful with his words. Aerith was vulnerable, and now hurt. He couldn’t let his stupidity ruin the best thing that had ever happened to him. So he began slowly. 

 

“Aerith, saying ‘I love you’ is so much more beyond the words themselves. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I love you, I really do, but not just you." He ran a hand through his hair and flopped back on the pillow. The look on her face told him he was still going about this wrong. Damn it, but he had to keep going. "It is more than that, Aerith. I love the way you brighten up my day no matter what kind of mood I may be in when I come to see you. I love the way you aren’t afraid to be yourself around me. I love that you trust me to protect you and look out for you. I love that you care about all the children in the world and want to do whatever you can to provide them a safe and loving home. I love that you aren’t afraid to stand up to me and kick my ass when I need it. I love that you are far more patient than I deserve. I even love the way you snore when you sleep.”

 

“I don’t snore,” Aerith interrupted. 

 

“You do babe, and it’s adorable.” He leaned over and kissed the tip of her nose.  “But that’s beside the point. What I am trying to say is when you say you love me, do you have any idea of how much I love you in return?” Zack tucked her under the chin, kissing her gently before pulling her in close. Her head laid across his chest, her ear pressed against his heart. “I love you Aerith. And while those words fail to contain everything I feel, they are the only ones I can seem to find. You are my world, Aerith. Don’t ever doubt or question that. You’re the one for me.”

 

Aerith turned and buried her face into the crook of his shoulder. “You are the only one for me Zack,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry I-”

 

He chuckled. “ It’s alright. Let’s just enjoy the morning together, okay?” God only knew when they would ever have a moment like this again. He was going to have to turn his phone back on at some point, and he knew it was going to be flooded with messages. He would have to go to work, to fight back the darkness that threatened to consume the world. 

 

Zack didn’t want to be seperated from Aerith again. He just wanted more time. He couldn’t keep the smile from spreading across his face at the idea. He wished he could just freeze his life in this moment. Being here with Aerith like this… 

 

It took his breath away. 

  
  



End file.
